University of Oregon
NCAA Indoor Championships
Cheserek's Historic Win Highlights Productive Day One
03/10/17 | Track and Field
EDWARD CHESEREK BECAME THE WINNINGEST ATHLETE IN NCAA HISTORY WITH HIS 16TH CAREER TITLE, AND THE DUCKS GOT STRONG SHOWINGS FROM THEIR DMR TEAMS TO OPEN THE NCAA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Edward Cheserek ran into the history books with his 16th-career national title, the most ever by any NCAA track and field or cross country athlete, and the Men and Women of Oregon received strong performances across the board to open the NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday at Gilliam Indoor Stadium.
How it Happened - Men: With an enormous amount of buzz surrounding him entering the meet, Cheserek did not disappoint in his two races on the opening day. He won the mile semifinals in a cool 3:59.30, and came back a few hours later to win the 5,000 meter finals in 13:41.20, placing King Ches in his rightful throne as the winningest athlete in NCAA history.
"I try to win them all," Cheserek said with a grin on his face. "Sixteen is a lot, but I'm focused on getting 17 and 18 and hopefully more. I'm just focused day by day and, for now, just thinking about the mile tomorrow."
Sophomore Matthew Maton was not to be overlooked in the mile, as he ran with Cheserek from the start and finished second in 3:59.73 to advance to the finals on Saturday. Maton will also join Cheserek in the 3,000 meter finals.
The Men of Oregon came away with a fourth-place finish in the distance-medley relay to add five points to the Ducks' total, who lead the field with 17 points after the first day. The team of Austin Tamagno (1,200m), Marcus Chambers (400m), Mick Stanovsesk (800m) and Blake Haney (1,600m) finished in 9:33.52 in the final event of the day.
In the long jump, junior Damarcus Simpson came away with a couple of points for the Men of Oregon with a seventh-place finish. Simpson jumped 7.76m/25-5.5 to earn his way onto the podium in his first indoor season with the Ducks.
Senior transfer Kyree King broke the school record in the 60 meter semifinals to advance to Saturday's finals, taking third in his heat in a blazing 6.57 seconds.
Senior Mitch Modin opened up the heptathlon to kick off the championship weekend for the Ducks, and he sits in 12th overall with 3,110 points after competing in the first four events on Friday.
How it Happened - Women: The Women of Oregon put six points on the board to open the Indoor Championships, courtesy of a third-place finish by their distance-medley relay squad. The quartet of Lilli Burdon (1,200m), Ashante Horsley (400m), Brooke Feldmeier (800m) and Katie Rainsberger (1,600m) came across the finish line in 11:00.68 to get the women into the scoring column going into Saturday's final day.
In a highly anticipated 60 meter semifinals, Hannah Cunliffe (7.13) and Deajah Stevens (7.17) came in 1-2 to advance to the finals, and Ariana Washington (7.25) finished second in her heat to join her two teammates on Saturday. Washington would go on to post the fastest time in the 200 meters a couple hours later at 22.57, a new indoor PR, and Cunliffe was right behind at 22.74 to give Oregon a pair of competitors in Saturday's final.
Raevyn Rogers, the defending 800 meter champion both indoors and outdoors, took a step towards defending that final with a time of 2:05.36 in the 800 semis to move on to the finals.
The Women of Oregon also put a pair of Ducks in the 60-meter hurdle finals after strong opening performances from Sasha Wallace and Alaysha Johnson. Wallace flew to a new PR and topped her own school record in 7.87 to lead the field, and Johnson advanced after finishing in 8.05.
Senior Maggie Schmaedick came in 13th in the finals of the 5,000 meters, crossing in 16:07.30.
What it Means: Both the Men and Women of Oregon are in position to accomplish big things on Saturday's final day. Cheserek will once again lead the men with entries in both the mile and the 3,000 meters alongside Maton, and the women will feature another heavy dose of impressive sprinters to go along with Rogers in the 800 and a trio of Ducks in the 3,000 meters.
Notable: Stevens initially won the 200 meters in what appeared to be a collegiate-record time, but was disqualified after further review … If Cheserek is able to win both the mile and the 3,000 meters on Saturday, he would complete an individual triple never before done … Senior Marcus Chambers barely missed the finals of the 200 meters, finishing ninth in 20.83.
Up Next: The Ducks will go after the ultimate prize of the team championships on Saturday, as well as numerous individual titles on both the men and the women's side.
Players Mentioned
